CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / L.A. COUNTY

Los Angeles County supervisors on Tuesday approved $44.8 million in extra funding for dozens of private clinics that treat the growing ranks of uninsured patients.

The county has been reimbursing clinics for primary care, dental and specialty medical services for the last 13 years, and currently budgets $54 million annually for payments to clinics.

The new funding, which will be paid over the next three years, includes $35.5 million in services for new patients, $7.8 million for equipment and construction, and $1.5 million to create a countywide Internet-based medical records system.

Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas, Gloria Molina and Mike Antonovich voted for the plan, and Supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Don Knabe voted against it.

Yaroslavsky had wanted $3 million in payments earmarked for clinics in needy areas of his district and succeeded in inserting a provision in the plan drafted by county Chief Executive William T. Fujioka and presented to supervisors Tuesday.

But at the urging of Ridley-Thomas, supervisors rejected the provision and redirected the $3 million to pay for clinic equipment and construction in other areas of the county.

Ridley-Thomas argued the change was only fair, since county records show many clinics in Yaroslavsky’ district post surpluses at year’s end, while those in his district run out of county funding, particularly those in South Los Angeles.

-- Molly Hennessy-Fiske